Wild Words Newsletter
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Hailed as 'Remarkable' by the OBSERVER, 'Astounding' by ADAM FARRER, and 'Brave and luminous' by SARAH LANGFORD, The Ghost Lake is a profoundly personal, lyrical, and stirring exploration of local history and evolving landscapes. It intertwines nature writing with an examination of grief, belonging, and the lives and legacies of rural working-class individuals.
In the author's own words, "I am setting out on a pilgrimage through an ancient landscape. I will begin at my daughter's grave." Paleolake Flixton, an extinct lake in North Yorkshire, bears witness to human occupation dating back thousands of years to prehistoric times. Over the millennia, the vast lake disappeared, transforming into wetlands and peaty fields, leaving behind only a watermark as a reminder of its former existence.
Wendy Pratt takes the reader on a pilgrimage around the ghost lake, visiting locations that have served as journey markers in her own life. As she traverses forests and fenlands, she reflects on the process of finding belonging in nature as a woman who exists in a series of liminal spaces – as a working-class writer, an infertile woman in a fertile world, and a bereaved mother in a society focused on children.
An early draft of The Ghost Lake was longlisted for the 2021 Nan Shepherd Prize. As described by THE BOOKSELLER, "In this lyric memoir, award-winning poet Pratt explores the landscape of the Yorkshire Moors, and the ancient lost lake of Flixton, weaving together nature writing with an exploration of grief, belonging and the lives of rural working-class people."
GEOGRAPHICAL magazine offers this perspective: "There are some autobiographical writers who speak of utilizing nature's healing properties to overcome life challenges without fully acknowledging the role of luck in their trajectories. Not infrequently these writers become cultural spokespeople for or representatives of a demographic that they are actually no longer a part of, leaving those who are still grappling with their plights feeling as though it's a personal failing that they can't make their way out the same mires. This is a very different sort of book, a steadfastly honest one that views nature as a refuge rather than a cure. Many should find solace here. And others will simply gain pleasure from the descriptions of the archaeological finds unearthed from Yorkshire's rich black peaty soils."
Book ISBN: | 9780008637378 |
Book Author: | Wendy Pratt |
Book Format: | Hardback |
Book Imprint: | The Borough Press |
Book Publisher: | HarperCollins Publishers |
Book Dimensions: | 223 x 143 x 23 cm |
Book Publication Date: | 2024-08-15 |
Book Pagination: | 272 pages |
Book Weight: | 384g |
Sherlock & Pages is a little bookshop with a big heart. We are based in Frome, Somerset, England and curate lists of books in the areas we are passionate about – landscape, nature, history, and heritage. In short, the conservation of all we’ve inherited and all we are responsible to pass on. We aim to inspire and be inspired, to form a literary culture of care and passion about this precious planet we call home.
This is a shop where you might find something you haven’t seen before, and we like to think we’ve got something for everyone. We choose each of our books with care and for a reason. This is because our physical store is small but beautifully formed, holding only around 1200 titles at any one time. We try and recreate the feel of the shop wherever we are online, to reflect our niche categories and personality.
We have an active social media presence and aim to share our story with all our friends. The long-term goal is to build a hub for the books and writers we believe in. Who knows where our adventure will lead but by supporting Sherlock & Pages you’re helping us to add a further layer of magic to our little corner of the world. If you haven’t visited our physical store, one day you might just make a literary pilgrimage down to Somerset.
Our tagline is ‘Long Live the Hedgerows’ and our symbol a hibernating dormouse. If you want to support an independent with a unique character and which will share stories with you for years to come, then choose Sherlock & Pages. The world needs bookshops with soul, for they are ‘citadels of light.’
Sherlock & Pages is a little bookshop with a big heart. We are based in Frome, Somerset, England and curate lists of books in the areas we are passionate about – landscape, nature, history, and heritage. In short, the conservation of all we’ve inherited and all we are responsible to pass on. We aim to inspire and be inspired, to form a literary culture of care and passion about this precious planet we call home.
This is a shop where you might find something you haven’t seen before, and we like to think we’ve got something for everyone. We choose each of our books with care and for a reason. This is because our physical store is small but beautifully formed, holding only around 1200 titles at any one time. We try and recreate the feel of the shop wherever we are online, to reflect our niche categories and personality.
We have an active social media presence and aim to share our story with all our friends. The long-term goal is to build a hub for the books and writers we believe in. Who knows where our adventure will lead but by supporting Sherlock & Pages you’re helping us to add a further layer of magic to our little corner of the world. If you haven’t visited our physical store, one day you might just make a literary pilgrimage down to Somerset.
Our tagline is ‘Long Live the Hedgerows’ and our symbol a hibernating dormouse. If you want to support an independent with a unique character and which will share stories with you for years to come, then choose Sherlock & Pages. The world needs bookshops with soul, for they are ‘citadels of light.’